What i do is hold bag on lap while ppl are getting on plane, since they move around so much and put stuff in over head bins. then put her on floor for departure, then grab my fashion bag back on lap and if she wants to she can get out and crawi in my arm, but yours is a lil bigger. Flight attendents are preety good about it, depends if they have had a good day or not. one owned a yorkie lasty year, my one yorkie is big and itook her as a cabin dog, service dog, i tell agent when making reservations....and i carried my lio male in bag and just told sky caps he's a therapy dog in training.........i just go threw security and get on plane, they never say anything. Probably cause its in my reservation, that i have a cabin dog and i ask for a seat with enough room for dog to be comfortable, like the bulkhead......thats how you do it......brittany